Various types of tools for applying heat to a work piece are known in the art. Examples of such heating tools include without limitation soldering irons and thermal wire strippers. Such heating tools have a heater that generates heat that is applied to the work piece. The heater can be placed in pipe extending from a handle. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,054,678, 6,710,304 and 7,807,949, which are incorporated herein by reference. For the operator's comfort, the heater is typically located at a sufficient distance away from a handle held by the user of the heating tool. Also, the walls of the pipe are intentionally made thin so as to suppress heat transfer to the handle. When the heating tool is brought into contact with a work piece so as to apply a desired amount of force, the thin walls of the pipe may deform or deflect due to a reaction force from the work piece. Usually the deflection is not controlled, making it difficult to apply the desired amount of force to the work piece. This may result in reduced productivity and/or product quality. For example, the heating tool may be a thermal wire stripper that is used to apply a force onto in insulation cover so as to remove the insulation cover from a core wire. As the user grips the handle of the thermal wire stripper, the force transmitted to the work piece is often reduced due to deflection of one or more parts of the heating tool, and the reduced force may result in incomplete removal of the insulation cover.
There is a continuing need for enhanced heat transfer from heater to the workpiece and a need to reduce heat transfer in a direction toward the handle of heating tools. There is also a continuing need to enhance the strength of such tools without an undue increase in heat transfer toward the handle.